Folding coop



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

- J. N. CORNELIUS.

FOLDING COOP. No. 596,141. Patented Deo. 28,1897.

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J. N. CORNELIUS.

, FOLDING COOP.

No. 596,141. Patented Deo. 28,1897.

v 1 l I I ...n m, l l WIZNESSES v INVENTOR` l WW Attorney .side section 5.

PATENT Enron.

JESSE N. CORNELIUS, OF MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

FOLDING COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,141, dated December 28, 1897. Application filed October 28, 1896. Serial No. 610,254. (No model.)

To all whom t weary concern,.-

Beit known that I, JEssE N. CORNELIUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mooresville, in the county of Iredell and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Ooops; and I do hereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to a novel construction in a coop or crate, the object being to provide a coop or crate that can be folded into a small compass when not in use.

The invention consists in the features of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective View of a coop constructed in accord-l ance with this invention in a position ready for use. Fig. 2 is Aa perspective view showing the manner in which said coop is folded. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the crate in a folded position. Fig. 4. is a transverse section.

Referring now to said drawings, 1 indicates the bottom of said coop, which is preferably made of wood, and consists of a rectangular frame with a suitable wire floor 2. The said frame is provided at its inner edge and on its upper side with an angular rabbet 3, as shown. The sides and top of the coop consist of two members 4., each of which comprises three sections--namely, the side section 5, an end section 6, and a top section 7. Y The end and top sections are both pivotally connected with the end and top edge of the side section, while said side section 5 is pivotally connected to the frame of said bottom 1, conveniently, by means of staples 8, situated within the rabbet 3 and engaging the lower strand of said The sections of said members are all constructed of wire suitably bent and fastened, and it will be seen that by reason of the lower edge of said side sections being secured within the rabbet the outer wall thereof serves as a stop to limit `the outer movement of said side section, while said section can be thrown inwardly without interference.`

As before stated, the end section is pivoted at one end to one end of the side section,while` the other end of said section is provided near its upper and lower ends with notches 9 to engage the outer end portion of the end section 6 of the other member when these sections stand in an upright position. The said end sections 6 extend across the end of the frame and are adapted to be seated within the rabbet, while their upper sides are provided with lugs lO to engage the top section 7. The said end sections are also provided about midway between their ends and'upon their upper edges with pivoted arms ll, that are adapted to fold over upon the top sections after the latter are folded when the crate is made up. One of the top sections 7 is pro vided with inwardly-extending projections 12, adapted to overlap the inner edge of the other top section, as shown in Fig. l. It will be seen that when the crate is to be made up the ends of the end sections 6 are inserted in the notches 9 in the ends of the side sections 5, so as to sustain the end and side sections, while the top sections are folded down upon the upper ends of the side and end sections and with the top section having the projections 12 situated over the inner end of the other top section, so that these projections serve to hold the other top section in place upon the end sections. The upwardly-extending lugs l0 of the end sections engage the inner faces of the side pieces of the top and, furthermore, brace the crate and hold it in a rigid position, and the arms 1l are thrown inwardly and upon the meeting ends of the top section and are secured in this position by fastening devices I3, consisting of a wire or string.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that a crate constructed in this manner is both rigid, light, and economical and can be readily folded or made up. When it is desired to fold the crate, the fastening devices 13 are released and the arms ll thrown outwardly. Then the top section carrying the projections 12 is moved upwardly to form the end sections to be supported from the side sections. By swinging the side section backwardly to an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, the said end sections can be folded upon the side sections, whereupon both the top sections can be folded inwardly within TOO the frame of the bottom piece, so that all the parts lie within the rabbet 3 thereof. To hold the said parts in this folded position, the side ofthe frame of the bottom piece opposite the top piece carrying the section 12 is provided with a plurality of spring-catches 14, which receive and hold the projections 12 of said top pieces. In this Way when the crate is folded the parts will be securely held within the rabbet, so that the whole crate is not Wider than the bottom piece l. This latter feature of the crate is found especially advantageous owing to the fact that the express and freight rates are materially lessened when the crate is shipped in this manner by reason of the fact that packages made up in this manner are differently classified and are transferred at a lower rate.

It will be understood, of course, that, except in the claims for the specific construction, I do not wish to belimited to the details herein described and claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a coop or crate, the folding side sections, end sections pivoted to the ends of Said side sections, top sections pivoted to the upper edge of said side sections, a notched plate secured to the end of each of said side sections opposite the end to which the end sections are pivoted and adapted to receive the end portion of the adjacent end section, and means for securing said end and top sections together.

2. In a folding coop or crate, the bottom having the pivoted side sections, the end and top sections pivoted to said side sections, projections upon the free or swinging end of one of said top sections adapted to overlap the other top section, upwardly-extending lugs upon the upper edge of said end sections to engage the top sections, and pivoted arins upon the upper edges of said end sections adapted to engage said top sections and to be secured thereto by suitable fastening devices.

3. In a coop or crate, the bottoni having a rabbeted inner and upper edge, catches at one side of said bottom and within the rabbeted portion, side sections having their lower edges pivoted Within said rabbeted portions, end sections pivoted to the ends of said side sections, top sections pivoted to the upper edge of said side sections, and projections upon one of said top sections to engage said catches.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JESSE N. CGRNELIUS.

Witnesses:

G. O. CORNELIUS, C. A. TUBYFILL. 

